Canadians Soliders found Amiens 1918

[dannyboy1807]

I have just found this article from September 27th on another website www.histomil.com

now I don't know if these have been discussed about or what and if they have then I am very sorry, I couldn't find anything on here.

Nearly a century after they died in battle, the remains of unidentified Canadian soldiers who fought in the First World War are still being found in Europe.

Today the Department of National Defence released the names of four who died during the Battle of Amiens in August 1918.

Their resting place was discovered in 2006 by then 14-year-old Fabien Demeusere, while digging in his back garden in Hallu, France, 120 kilometres north of Paris.

Demeusere, a young First World War history buff, whose home was built on what had been a battlefield in 1918, had made an important discovery.

The remains of eight soldiers were eventually found, but so far only four have been identified.

the 4 identified are Clifford Neelands, Lachlan Mckinnon, William Simms, Joseph Oscar Lindell.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/wwi-canadian-soldiers-remains-identified-1.2779824

[MelPack]

Danny

Thanks for posting the information - I was certainly unaware of this discovery.

I wonder if the documentary will be available for viewing beyond Canada? Otherwise, it is interesting that it has taken nine years for the project to come to fruition - it puts our BL15 in perspective.

The suggestion that a fifth but not confirmed ID might be Albert Edward Ahmed seems to indicate that the DNA sequence recovered from the remains was distinct from the standard sequences of DNA from a European lineage - exactly the same occurred with the Fromelles Aussies who were of Jewish descent. It is a great pity that he was an orphan with, presumably, no traceable family.

I loved this quote from the article:

Identifying the remains

After the 2006 discovery, the task of identifying the eight fell to Laurel Clegg, a casualty identification coordinator at DND.

"We get all the heights and ages of those missing and we compare it against the heights and ages of the deceased," Clegg explains in the CBC documentary.

Then the department takes DNA from the remains and compares it to the DNA of potential relatives. Getting that DNA is not always easy.

Tell me!

[Seadog]

Nine years from discovery to burial (2006 - 2015), that must be some kind of record and beats the BL-15 by four years.

Norman

PS Or put another way this took twice as long as the war itself!

[robins2]

For more info on this topic please see

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ww-i-canadian-soldier-s-remains-identified-1.2823869

Just released today

May He R.I.P.

[TheFonz]

For more info on this topic please see

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ww-i-canadian-soldier-s-remains-identified-1.2823869

Just released today

May He R.I.P.

Wow...the part about the locket is amazing. Exchanged so many years ago, unknown to either party that nearly a hundred years later it would be something so important.

[robins2]

Wow...the part about the locket is amazing. Exchanged so many years ago, unknown to either party that nearly a hundred years later it would be something so important.

I think we can give them a A+ for their efforts

[dannyboy1807]

http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2015/4/canadian-casualties-reinterred.aspx

They are to be buried on the 13th May at Caix British Cemetery.

[MelPack]

dannyboy

Thanks for the nudge on this one.

The details are always worth putting in the post for future reference because the links disappear after a time:

Canadian casualties reinterred

28 April 2015

Eight First World War casualties of the Canadian Infantry will be re-buried in a ceremony at Caix British Cemetery, France on 13 May, with five positively identified following anthropological and historical research.

The CWGC received a report that possible war-time remains had been discovered in the back garden of a residential property in Hallu, in the Somme region, in 2006.

Three sets of remains were carefully recovered, along with badges, insignia and military equipment. The items found indicated that the remains were of First World War soldiers of the Canadian Forces.

A further five sets of remains were discovered in close proximity a year later, again accompanied by badges and insignia, specifically from the 78th Battalion (Winnipeg), and one identification tag.

Research conducted by the Canadian military authorities established that the location of the discovery in Hallu aligned to the position of the front-line held by the 78TH Battalion on 10th - 11th August 1918.

During that battle, the battalion suffered thirty five missing and it was anticipated that the eight soldiers recovered from the garden were therefore amongst this group.

From anthropological and historical research, the initial list of thirty five possible candidates was reduced to a primary list of twelve. DNA was successfully obtained from the remains recovered and so a search was undertaken for the present-day decedents of each of the twelve primary candidates.

To date, five of the eight casualties have been positively identified as follows:

• Lieutenant Clifford Abraham Neelands
• Private Sidney Halliday, 148581.
• Lance Sergeant John Oscar Lindell, 147186.
• Private Lachlan McKinnon, 148130.
• Private William Simms, 148691.

All served in the 78th Bn., Canadian Infantry.

The ceremony, organised by the Canadian Authorities, will be open to the public and those wishing to attend are asked to be in place by 1.30pm, with the ceremony to be held at 2pm.

There is no parking available at the cemetery. The nearest convenient parking is at the town hall in Caix.

A shuttle bus, running from the Salle de Fetes in Caix, will be available to ferry those wishing to attend to the cemetery.

However, it should be noted that there will be a walk from the main road drop off point to the cemetery.

Five out of eight successful IDs is certainly a remarkable achievement.

[NigelS]

Article in today's Sunday Telegraph (17th May) Reburied by their descendants, two British WW1 soldiers who fell far from home (Honour restored for Great War fallen in print version)

NigelS

[PFF]

Lt Neelands photo

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Neelands&GSfn=Clifford&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1918&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=56681813&df=all&

Were the other three listed as Unknown Soldier of the great War 78th Battalion canadian Forces?

[ejwalshe]

Indeed, their head stones read: A Private of the Great War 78th Btn Canadian Infantry 12 Aug 1918.

Unofficially, the Canadian government consumed many resources over the 8+ years it took to re-inter these men, yes, re-inter, as they had been buried originally by the German Alpine Korps.

Officially, the case on the Hallu Eight is still open, and probably will remain so for years to come...

I am hoping the current government will change the unwritten policy of we don't have money for that anymore...which was an extremely fashionable stance of the previous Harper government.

Mr Harper was in the region when these men were re-interred - I had expected him to show up, but his absence says a lot about the man and his government when it comes to dealing with current, former and deceased members of our armed forces. Bloody shame. Yeah, I am still pissed.

However, thank God there is plenty of money for planting oak trees on Vimy and feasibility studies for mammoth monuments no one will ever see (the failed Mother Canada project on Cape Breton)...

[trajan]

So, with all respect, press the case with the Canadian authorities. These days with so much ancillary media around, that can be done.

[ejwalshe]

Trust me, Trajan, I have been quite active in raising awareness in several levels of government, and will continue to do so.

 

Over at CEFSG, there is a summary post of what has transpired in the past two years....

 

Summary page

 

Cheers, Ted